Beijing Ancient Observatory

Beijing Ancient Observatory
	On the grounds of the Beijing Ancient Observatory with a bronze bust of the astronomer and mathematician Guo Shoujing in the foreground.
Location	Jianguomen Subdistrict, Dongcheng, Beijing, PRC
Coordinates	39°54′22″N 116°25′41″E / 39.9061°N 116.4281°E
Website	www.bjp.org.cn/misc/node_4542.htm
	Location of Beijing Ancient Observatory
	Related media on Commons
	[edit on Wikidata]

The Beijing Ancient Observatory (

Jesuits

) in 1644.

As one of the oldest

observatories in the world, the Beijing Ancient Observatory grounds cover an area of 10,000 square meters. The observatory itself is located on a 40 by 40 metres (130 ft × 130 ft) wide platform on the top of a 15 m (49 feet) tall brick tower, an extant portion of the old Ming dynasty era city wall that once encircled Beijing. Several of the bronze astronomical instruments are on the platform, and other armillary spheres, sundials, and other instruments are located nearby at ground level.^[1] It is operated as a museum in affiliation with the Beijing Planetarium

.

History

It was said that in 1227, the Jin dynasty transferred the ancient astronomical instruments from Kaifeng to the first observatory in Beijing. In 1279, the succeeding Mongols under Kublai Khan built a new observatory just north of the current observatory. Kublai Khan made his chief adviser of hydraulics, mathematics and astronomy, Guo Shoujing, director of the observatory in 1283 after the death of Guo's friend and predecessor Zhang Wenqian.^[2] After the Mongols, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding Ming Emperor, transferred the instruments from Beijing to Nanjing. When the Yongle Emperor came to power, he had craftsmen make copies of the instruments in Nanjing and sent them to the Beijing observatory.

The current observatory was completed in 1442. It assisted the Ming and Qing astronomers in their observation reports for the Emperor. As he was considered the "

Jesuits

helped to further develop the observations of the stars and the planets.

During the later stages of the Qing dynasty, members of the

seismograph of Zhang Heng's design used to be housed at the observatory. Some of the instruments from the Ming era are now at Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing.^[3]^[4]

Access and nearby attractions

The Beijing Ancient Observatory is located just south of

Ming City Wall Relics Park

are a short walk to the south.

References

^ "The Observatory, Peking". Cambridge Digital Library. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
^ O'Connor, J. J.; Robertson, E. F. "Guo Shoujing". St Andrews University. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
^ [1] Archived October 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^ [2] Archived August 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

External links

Official site Archived 2017-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
Google Maps satellite image
Beijing Ancient Observatory travel guide
Tour of Beijing Ancient Observatory in virtual reality
Photograph archives (1889) from the Paris Observatory

[1] "The Observatory, Peking". Cambridge Digital Library. Retrieved 3 July 2015.

[2] O'Connor, J. J.; Robertson, E. F. "Guo Shoujing". St Andrews University. Retrieved 3 July 2015.

[3] [1] Archived October 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[4] [2] Archived August 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Old city of Beijing
Subdivisions	Imperial City Forbidden City
Fortifications and towers	Andingmen Bell and Drum towers Chaoyangmen Chongwenmen Di'anmen Dongzhimen Duanmen Deshengmen Fuchengmen Guang'anmen Tiananmen Xizhimen Xuanwumen Yongdingmen Zhengyangmen Zhonghuamen
Forbidden City	Meridian Gate Gate of Supreme Harmony Hall of Mental Cultivation Hall of Supreme Harmony Belvedere of Embodying Benevolence Hall of Central Harmony Belvedere of Spreading Righteousness Hall of Preserving Harmony Gate of Thriving Imperial Clan Gate of Heavenly Purity Palace of Heavenly Purity Hall of Union Palace of Earthly Tranquility Gate of Divine Might
Imperial gardens, temples and offices	Jingshan Park Beihai Park Zhongnanhai Taimiao (Imperial Ancestral Temple) Zhongshan Park Confucius Temple Guozijian Beijing Ancient Observatory Beijing Zoo Old Summer Palace Summer Palace Fragrant Hills Jade Spring Hill Temple of Heaven Temple of Earth Temple of the Sun Temple of the Moon Xiannongtan (Temple of Agriculture)
Temples and gardens	Shichahai Yonghe Temple Fayuan Temple White Cloud Temple Zhenjue Temple Miaoying Temple Wanshou Temple Temple of Azure Clouds Badachu Dongyue Temple Guanghua Temple Tanzhe Temple Wofo Temple Big Bell Temple Bailin Temple Guangji Temple Fahai Temple Changchun Temple Zhihua Temple Yunju Temple Tianning Temple
Mosques and churches	Xuanwumen Cathedral Xishiku Church Xizhimen Church Wangfujing Church St. Michael's Church Niujie Mosque

v t e Museums in Beijing
Palace Museum National Museum of China
National Art Museum of China China Millennium Monument China Railway Museum China Science and Technology Museum Geological Museum of China Paleozoological Museum of China Chinese Aviation Museum Beijing Air and Space Museum Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution Museum of the Chinese Communist Party Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
Beijing Ancient Observatory Beijing Exhibition Center Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum Beijing Museum of Natural History Beijing Planetarium Beijing Art Museum Capital Museum Cultural Palace of Nationalities Dabaotai Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum Guanfu Museum Prince Gong Mansion Today Art Museum Tuancheng Fortress Western Zhou Yan State Capital Museum Yuan Center

History

Access and nearby attractions

See also

References

External links